What Your Relationship With Money Says About Your Character With Rabb Daniel Lapin
The Curious Middle
What if pursuing wealth isn't greedy, it's morally good? has spent decades making that case, and in this conversation he makes it clearly. He's the bestselling author of founder of the American Alliance of Jews and Christians, and one of the most practical thinkers on money, character, and how to live well. We get into his Five F's frameworkL Family, Finance, Friendship, Fitness, and Faith, and why these five areas, arranged in a circle, are the clearest measure of whether someone has their life together. Rabbi Lapin breaks down which F matters most at different life stages, why...
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Reading Before You Speak: How Matt Nuclear Debates the Issues Most People Won't Touch
The Curious Middle
is one of the most compelling young voices in political commentary right now. He went viral debating Amanda Seales on Surrounded series, one Black conservative among twenty, and has been building a reputation for tackling the issues most people his age avoid entirely. We invited Matt for a converrsationa about what it actually takes to form independent opinions in an age of social media groupthink. Matt grew up in a 90% white state, came to the US from Angola at age six, and found his way into political debate not through mentors or family ideology, but through Discord arguments...
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All the News That's Fit to Spin with Ashley Rindsberg
The Curious Middle
How much power does The New York Times really have , and what happens when that power is used to shape narrative instead of pursue truth? In this episode of The Curious Middle, we speak with Ashley Rindsberg, author of about the Times’ reporting on some of the most important stories of the last century: the Nazi invasion of Poland, Stalin’s Soviet Union, the Holocaust, Israel, the 1619 Project nd more. Ashley Rindsberg is an investigative journalist and author focused on media malfeasance, information warfare, and the hidden systems influencing public discourse. Ashley joins us to explain...
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If Iran Breaks Free with Jonathan Harounoff
The Curious Middle
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Jonathan Harounoff, British-Iranian journalist and author of Unveiled: Inside Iran’s Woman, Life, Freedom Revolt. Jonathan takes us inside the Woman, Life, Freedom movement—how it began, why it refuses to die, and why the regime continues to answer peaceful protest with barbaric force. Drawing on years of reporting and deeply personal conversations with Iranians inside the country and across the diaspora, he shares the brutal realities of life under the regime—and the extraordinary courage of people who keep standing up anyway. We talk about...
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When Education Turns Into One-Sided Activism with Marissa Streit CEO of PragerU
The Curious Middle
We spreak with CEO of bout education, civics, and parenting in a time of cultural chaos. Marissa shares the moment that inspired her to “enlist” through education, explains why activism can show up even in math and literacy, and calls on parents to stop outsourcing values to institutions. Our discussion also explores he crisis facing young women today—marriage, meaning, dignity, and femininity—and why Marissa believes a new “revolution” is needed. Plus: practical ways to use PragerU at home in just 5–20 minutes a day. Timestamps & Key Moments 00:04 — Intro: Who is...
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Foster Care to Yale: The Truth About Luxury Beliefs with Rob Henderson
The Curious Middle
Rob Henderson, known for coining the term “luxury beliefs,” joins us to discuss his memoir Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. Rob shares his extraordinary path—from homelessness and the LA foster care system, to adoption in rural Northern California, to enlisting in the Air Force at 17, and eventually studying at Yale and Cambridge. Rob shares research that shows how childhood instability (more than poverty alone) shapes life outcomes; why the foster system is so under-resourced; how elite cultural narratives can unintentionally harm the very communities...
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Sarah Hurwitz: Chosen for Responsibility, Judaism, Israel, and the Battle Over the Jewish Story
The Curious Middle
Former Michelle Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz joins us to explore the world of Jewish wisdom she discovered beyond ethnic jokes, bagels, and a vague sense of guilt. She shares how her culturally Jewish upbringing transformed into a deeply learned, joyful identity—and why real Jewish study is essential if we want to withstand modern antisemitism. We trace how 2,000 years of Christian anti-Judaism, Nazi antisemitism, and Soviet anti-Zionism have been funneled into today’s leftist campus ideologies—shaping the anti-Israel narratives dominating universities, media, and movements on both...
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Your School’s Ethnic Studies Curriculum Might Be More Radical Than You Think - Monica Harris Explains Why
The Curious Middle
Monica Harris is the Executive Director of a Harvard Law graduate, former Hollywood executive, and author of The Illusion of Division. Monica explains how her experience as a gay Black woman in Hollywood and then in “flyover country”shattered many elite narratives about America. She describes why she believes much of our current polarization is manufactured by media and political interests, and how identity-based frameworks like liberated ethnic studies and DEI are deepening division rather than healing it. We dig into the following: Why “Liberated Ethnic Studies” is...
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From “America Is Evil” to American Exceptionalism: Lucy Biggers’ Turnaround
The Curious Middle
In this episode, we speak with head of social media at nd a former climate activist who has completely rethought the story she was telling the world and herself. Lucy shares how she went from a left-wing digital newsroom steeped in oppressor–oppressed ideology and climate doomsday content to slowly “re-educating” herself, especially after COVID lockdowns made her question what the climate movement was really asking of ordinary people. We talk about how smart, idealistic young people get pulled into movements, from climate activism to “Free Palestine” marches and democratic...
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What Love Makes Possible: Leland Vittert on His Father, Autism & a Lucky Life
The Curious Middle
Vittert, chief Washington anchor and author of the memoir joins us to talk about his childhood, his career, and all the unexpected ways he truly was born lucky. Despite years of bullying and difficulty navigating school as an autistic kid, Leland had one enormous blessing: parents who never gave up on him, never lowered the bar, and never stopped believing he was capable of a beautiful life. The devotion of Leland’s father will melt your heart—and make you think about the millions of ways a child’s life can be transformed through love, discipline, and grit. Leland shares...
info_outlineLike both of us (your co-hosts Polina and Yelena) Viktoria was born in the Soviet Union. VIktoria immigrated to the USA from Kiev with her family when she was 10. After getting interested in politics a few years ago, Viktoria started a highly successful Instagram page (communistsurivivor) , as a place to share her experiences and political opinions. Viktoria’s childhood in the former Soviet Union has shaped her politics and inspired her to share the realities of life under communism.
We hope that Viktoria’s thoughts on the differences between life in the Soviet Union and the opportunities available in the U.S. encourage you to apply a critical eye when you come across communist and anti-capitalist propaganda.
If you have experience of living under an oppressive regime, and when you grow up listening to the stories of how your parents and grandparents struggled, you are more likely to treasure the immense privileges that come with freedom. We feel this perspective is particularly relevant in today's heated climate, where many college students in the West are expressing hatred for their own country without a basic understanding of the historical realities and struggles that led to their freedoms.
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Notable Quotes:
"Being a Communism survivor is something that definitely molds you into a certain way of being."
"We won the lottery because we were able to not only come here, but we have the relativity of the two worlds that make us so grateful and so patriotic."
"If you're not involved in politics, politics is going to get involved in you."
"The problem with communism is that it doesn't take human nature into account."
Topics Discussed:
- 02:35 The Telepathy Tapes
- 03:59 Adolescence on Netflix
- 05:55 Intro to Viktoria
- 16:20 Communism will never work with humans because it's incompatible with human nature
- 21:27 Most people in the west don't recognize the patterns of anti-government protests
- 21:53 Victoria started Communism Survivor after becoming passionate about politics
- 25:35 Advice for those trying to grow their Instagram accounts
- 33:22 Being banned on Instagram several times
- 39:50 Trump's treatment of Ukraine
- 50:12 Vktoria's career in integrative nutrition